A complex metabolic network and its biomarkers regulate laccase production in white-rot fungus Cerrena unicolor 87613.

BACKGROUND: White-rot fungi are known to naturally produce high quantities of laccase, which exhibit commendable stability and catalytic efficiency. However, their laccase production does not meet the demands for industrial-scale applications. To address this limitation, it is crucial to optimize the conditions for laccase production. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying different conditions remain unclear. This knowledge gap hinders the cost-effective application of laccases. RESULTS: In this study, we utilized transcriptomic and metabolomic data to investigate a promising laccase producer, Cerrena unicolor 87613, cultivated with fructose as the carbon source. Our comprehensive analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) aimed to identify changes in cellular processes that could affect laccase production. As a result, we discovered a complex metabolic network primarily involving carbon metabolism and amino acid metabolism, which exhibited contrasting changes between transcription and metabolic patterns. Within this network, we identified five biomarkers, including succinate, serine, methionine, glutamate and reduced glutathione, that played crucial roles in co-determining laccase production levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our study proposed a complex metabolic network and identified key biomarkers that determine the production level of laccase in the commercially promising Cerrena unicolor 87613. These findings not only shed light on the regulatory mechanisms of carbon sources in laccase production, but also provide a theoretical foundation for enhancing laccase production through strategic reprogramming of metabolic pathways, especially related to the citrate cycle and specific amino acid metabolism.

Z-scheme Al2SeTe/GaSe and Al2SeTe/InS van der Waals heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting.

Designing Z-scheme van der Waals (vdW) heterostructured photocatalysts is a promising strategy for developing highly efficient overall water splitting. Herein, by employing density functional theory calculations, we systematically investigated the stability, electronic structures, photocatalytic and optical properties of Al2SeTe, GaSe, and InS monolayers and their corresponding vdW heterostructures. Interestingly, electronic structures show that all vdW heterostructures have direct band gaps, which is conducive to the transition of electrons from the valence band to the conduction band. Notably, Al2TeSe/GaSe and Al2TeSe/InS vdW heterostructures possess large overpotentials for Z-scheme photocatalytic water splitting, as proved by the results of band edge positions and band structure bending. Moreover, these vdW heterostructures exhibit good optical absorption in ultraviolet and visible light regions. We believe that our findings will open a new avenue for the modulation and development of Al2TeSe/GaSe and Al2TeSe/InS vdW heterostructures for photocatalytic water splitting.

Adverse events related to neuromuscular blocking agents: a disproportionality analysis of the FDA adverse event reporting system.

Background: Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) are primarily used during surgical procedures to facilitate endotracheal intubation and optimize surgical conditions. This study aimed to explore the adverse event signals of NMBAs, providing reference for clinical safety. Methods: This study collected reports of atracurium, cisatracurium, rocuronium, and vecuronium as primary suspect drugs in The US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) from the first quarter of 2004 to the third quarter of 2023. The adverse events (AEs) reported in the study were retrieved based on the Preferred Terms (PTs) of the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. In addition, we conducted disproportionality analysis on relevant reports using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) method and Bayesian confidence propagation neural network (BCPNN) method. A positive signal was generated when both algorithms show an association between the target drug and the AE. Results: A total of 11,518 NMBA-related AEs were reported in the FAERS database. The most AEs of rocuronium were collected. NMBA-related AEs involved 27 different system organs (SOCs), all of the four NMBAs had positive signals in "cardiac disorders," "immune system disorders," "respiratory, thoracic and mediastinal disorders" and "vascular disorders." At the PTs level, a total of 523 effective AEs signals were obtained for the four NMBAs. AEs labled in the instructions such as anaphylaxis (include anaphylactic reaction and anaphylactic shock), bronchospasm, respiratory arrest and hypotension were detected positive signals among all NMBAs. In addition, we also found some new AEs, such as ventricular fibrillation for the four NMBAs, hyperglycaemia for atracurium, kounis syndrome and stress cardiomyopathy for rocuronium, hepatocellular injury for cisatracurium, hyperkalaemia for vecuronium. To further investigated the AEs associated with serious clinical outcomes, we found that cardiac arrest and anaphylaxis were the important risk factors for death due to NMBAs. Conclusion: NMBA-related AEs have a significant potential to cause clinically severe consequences. Our study provides valuable references for the safety profile of NMBAs, and considering the limitations of the FAERS database, further clinical data are needed to validate the findings of this study.

Magnetic-ferroelectric synergic control of multilevel conducting states in van der Waals multiferroic tunnel junctions towards in-memory computing.

van der Waals (vdW) multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJs) based on two-dimensional materials have gained significant interest due to their potential applications in next-generation data storage and in-memory computing devices. In this study, we construct vdW MFTJs by employing monolayer Mn2Se3 as the spin-filter tunnel barrier, TiTe2 as the electrodes and In2S3 as the tunnel barrier to investigate the spin transport properties based on first-principles quantum transport calculations. It is highlighted that apparent tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and tunneling electroresistance (TER) effects with a maximum TMR ratio of 6237% and TER ratio of 1771% can be realized by using bilayer In2S3 as the tunnel barrier under finite bias. Furthermore, the physical origin of the distinguished TMR and TER effects is unraveled from the k||-resolved transmission spectra and spin-dependent projected local density of states analysis. Interestingly, four distinguishable conductance states reveal the implementation of four-state nonvolatile data storage using one MFTJ unit. More importantly, in-memory logic computing and multilevel data storage can be achieved at the same time by magnetic switching and electrical control, respectively. These results shed light on vdW MFTJs in the applications of in-memory computing as well as multilevel data storage devices.

Highly intense NIR emissive Cu4Pt2 bimetallic clusters featuring Pt(i)-Cu4-Pt(i) sandwich kernel.

Metal nanoclusters (NCs) capable of near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence (PL) are gaining increasing interest for their potential applications in bioimaging, cell labelling, and phototherapy. However, the limited quantum yield (QY) of NIR emission in metal NCs, especially those emitting beyond 800 nm, hinders their widespread applications. Herein, we present a bright NIR luminescence (PLQY up to 36.7%, ∼830 nm) bimetallic Cu4Pt2 NC, [Cu4Pt2(MeO-C6H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C)4(dppy)4]2+ (dppy = diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine), with a high yield (up to 67%). Furthermore, by modifying the electronic effects of R in RC[triple bond, length as m-dash]C- (R = MeO-C6H5, F-C6H5, CF3-C6H5, Nap, and Biph), we can effectively modulate phosphorescence properties, including the PLQY, emission wavelength, and excited state decay lifetime. Experimental and computational studies both demonstrate that in addition to the electron effects of substituents, ligand modification enhances luminescence intensity by suppressing non-radiation transitions through intramolecular interactions. Simultaneously, it allows the adjustment of emitting wavelengths by tuning the energy gaps and first excited triplet states through intermolecular interactions of ligand substituents. This study provides a foundation for rational design of the atomic-structures of alloy metal NCs to enhance their PLQY and tailor the PL wavelength of NIR emission.

Relationship between depression and anxiety with sleep quality in elderly adults / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the influence of depression and anxiety on sleep quality, and to provide a basis for preventing sleep disorders in community-dwelling older adults.Methods:Cluster sampling was used.A self-designed questionnaire, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7(GAD-7)were used for the survey.The sleep quality and the influence of depression and anxiety on sleep quality of 955 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and above were investigated.Results:The detection rate of sleep disorders, depression and anxiety were 24.5%, 19.1% and 14.3%, respectively.There was a positive correlation between sleep quality scores(including the total score and the scores of each dimension)and the anxiety and depression scores( rs: 0.115-0.558, P<0.01 for all). After adjusting for possible confounding effects of gender, age, food intake or tea drinking before bed, Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of depression( OR=3.555, 95% CI: 2.235-5.653, P<0.05)and anxiety( OR=1.812, 95% CI: 1.070-3.070, P<0.05)were significantly related to sleep disorders in the elderly.The multivariate adjusted population attributable risk of depression and anxiety for sleep disorders in the elderly was 32.56% and 16.09%, respectively.The presence of depression and anxiety were associated with 38.87% of the population attributable risk for sleep disorders. Conclusions:Depression and anxiety are important risk factors for sleep disorders in the elderly.Strengthening the identification and intervention of depression and anxiety is beneficial to improve the sleep quality of elderly living in the community.

Dissection of Cellular Communication between Human Primary Osteoblasts and Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis at Single-Cell Resolution

Background and Objectives@#Osteoblasts are derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) and playimportant role in bone remodeling. While our previous studies have investigated the cell subtypes and heterogeneity in osteoblasts and BMMSCs separately, cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs in vivo in humans have not been characterized. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular communication between human primary osteoblasts and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. @*Methods@#and Results: To investigate the cell-to-cell communications between osteoblasts and BMMSCs and identifynew cell subtypes, we performed a systematic integration analysis with our single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) transcriptomes data from BMMSCs and osteoblasts. We successfully identified a novel preosteoblasts subtype which highly expressed ATF3, CCL2, CXCL2 and IRF1. Biological functional annotations of the transcriptomes suggested that the novel preosteoblasts subtype may inhibit osteoblasts differentiation, maintain cells to a less differentiated status and recruit osteoclasts. Ligand-receptor interaction analysis showed strong interaction between mature osteoblasts and BMMSCs. Meanwhile, we found FZD1 was highly expressed in BMMSCs of osteogenic differentiation direction. WIF1 and SFRP4, which were highly expressed in mature osteoblasts were reported to inhibit osteogenic differentiation. We speculated that WIF1 and sFRP4 expressed in mature osteoblasts inhibited the binding of FZD1 to Wnt ligand in BMMSCs, thereby further inhibiting osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs. @*Conclusions@#Our study provided a more systematic and comprehensive understanding of the heterogeneity of osteogenic cells. At the single cell level, this study provided insights into the cell-to-cell communications between BMMSCs and osteoblasts and mature osteoblasts may mediate negative feedback regulation of osteogenesis process.

Research progress on influence of environmental and meteorological parameters on transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 / 环境与职业医学

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-COV-2) is spreading rapidly around the world and has become a global pandemic. Meteorological factors have been recognized as one of the critical factors that influence the epidemiology and transmission of infectious diseases. In this context, the World Meteorological Organization and scholars at home and abroad have paid extensive attention to the relationships of environment and meteorology with COVID-19. This paper systematically collected and sorted out relevant domestic and foreign studies, and reviewed the latest research progress on the impact of environmental and meteorological factors on COVID-19, classifying them into typical meteorological factors (such as temperature, humidity, and wind speed), local environmental factors (such as indoor enclosed environment, ventilation, disinfection, and air conditioning), and air pollution. Current research evidence suggests that typical meteorological factors, local environmental factors, and air pollutants are closely related to the transmission of COVID-19. However, the results of different studies are still divergent due to uncertainty about the influencing mechanism, and differences in research areas and methods. This review elucidated the importance of environmental and meteorological factors to the spread of COVID-19, and provided useful implications for the control of further large-scale transmission of COVID-19 and the development of prevention and control strategies under different environmental and meteorological conditions.

Progress in Research on Gastric Juice and Stomach Diseases / 胃肠病学

Gastric juice is a colorless, water-containing acidic digestive juice. As it is mainly metabolized in the gastric cavity, changes in its components can be used as early and direct indicators reflecting the pathological changes of gastric mucosa. In recent years, with the high incidence of stomach diseases and the widely use of gastroscopy, the clinical value of gastric juice has attracted much attention. This paper reviewed the research progress of relationship between changes in gastric juice components and stomach diseases.

Molecular epidemiology and virulence characteristics of polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumonia / 中华传染病杂志

Objective:To analyze the molecular epidemiology and virulence characteristics of polymyxin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae ( K. pneumoniae). Methods:From 2011 to 2016, 1 376 strains of K. pneumoniae were isolated from various clinical specimens of hospitalized patients in First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University. Agar dilution method was used to screen out the polymyxin-resistant strains.Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to detect the genes related to polymyxin resistance, and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the relative mRNA expression level of drug resistant genes. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis, multilocus sequence typing and Galleria mellonella larvae infection model were performed to analyze the molecular epidemiological and virulent characteristics. Results:A total of 14 strains (1.02%) of polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae were detected among 1 376 K. pneumoniae isolates. Subsequent sequencing identified mutations leading to amino-acid changes (K2E, F28C) in MgrB of 10 isolates and D150G in PhoQ of nine isolates, and genes such as mcr and crrB were not detected in all drug-resistant strains. Compared with standard strains, the relative expression levels of pmrH and pmrD mRNA of these drug resistant strains were increased. Analysis of the molecular epidemiology indicated that the 14 drug-resistant strains were divided into nine clones. Galleria mellonella larvae infection model revealed polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae isolates had higher virulence. Conclusions:Polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae has mutations in mgrB and phoQ genes, and mgrB mutation may play a key role in the change of virulence profiles. The homology among the polymyxin-resistant K. pneumoniae stains in this study is low.

Layer-specific strain assessment on left ventricular function before and after PCI in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective: To evaluate the changes of left ventricular function in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) before PCI and within 24 hours after PCI by layer-specific strain, and to explore the value of this new assessment method for quantitative monitoring on the myocardial function in STEMI patients. Methods: A total of 40 patients with acute anterior wall myocardial infarction, who underwent PCI in Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University during July 2017 to July 2018, were included in this prospective cohort study. According to the symptom to balloon time (STB), the patients were divided into STB ≤6 hours group (26 cases) and STB 6-12 hours group (14 cases). Echocardiography was performed before, immediately, 3 hours and 24 hours after PCI. Echocardiographic indexes including endocardial myocardial longitudinal strain (LS-endo), 18-segment full-thickness myocardial longitudinal strain (LS) of left ventricle and left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) were measured. The mean LS-endo and LS values of myocardial segments in infarcted area (IALS-endo, IALS) and the mean LS-endo and LS values of myocardial segments in non-infarcted area (NIALS-endo, NIALS) were calculated. Results: There were 34 males and 6 females in this cohort and age was (62±10) years. In STB≤6 hours group, the IALS-endo value ((13.7±4.9)% vs. (10.0±2.7)%, P<0.05) and NIALS-endo value ((17.0±2.9)% vs. (14.6±2.9)%, P<0.05) were significantly higher at 24 hours after PCI than those before PCI. In the group of STB 6-12 hours, IALS-endo decreased immediately after PCI ((6.7±3.3)% vs. (11.9±6.5)%, P<0.05), and there was a rising trend at 3 hours after PCI (P>0.05). At 24 hours after PCI, the index was higher than that immediately after PCI ((13.6±8.4)% vs. (6.7±3.3)%, P<0.05). The NIALS-endo value was significantly higher at 24 hours after PCI than that before PCI ((17.1±2.1)% vs. (14.5±3.2)%, P<0.05). In the STB 6-12 hours group, the decrease rate of IALS-endo immediately after PCI was higher than that in the STB ≤6 hours group (93% (13/14) vs. 35% (9/26), P<0.001). In STB ≤6 hours group, the NIALS value at 24 hours after PCI was higher than that before PCI (P<0.05), and there was no significant difference in IALS, NIALS and GLS at other time points (P>0.05). Conclusions: Layered LS is superior to full-thickness LS and GLS in evaluating left ventricular function in STEMI patients. LS measured by echocardiography can continuously and quantitatively evaluate the changes of left ventricular myocardial function in STEMI patients before and after PCI.

Serum metabolomics of preterm and full-term infants based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the features of serum metabolites in preterm infants based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and to find differentially expressed metabolites in the serum of preterm infants.@*METHODS@#Serum samples were collected from 19 preterm infants and 20 full-term infants before feeding. GC-MS was used to measure metabolic profiles, and the metabolic features of 397 serum metabolites in preterm infants were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#There was a significant difference in serum metabolic features between the preterm and full-term infants before feeding. There were significant differences between the full-term and preterm infants in the levels of metabolites such as O-phosphonothreonine, digicitrin, tannic acid, and fructose-1,6-diphosphate (P<0.01), suggesting that the above differentially expressed metabolites were highly differentiated between the preterm and full-term infants. Most differentially expressed metabolites were involved in the metabolic pathways such as ABC transporters, β-alanine and pyrimidines and were correlated with some clinical parameters (albumin and total bilirubin) (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a significant difference in serum metabolites between preterm and full-term infants before feeding. Metabolomics plays an important role in improving metabolic disorders and exploring metabolism-related diseases in preterm infants.

Role of autophagy in high glucose-induced podocyte lipid droplet accumulation / 中华肾脏病杂志

Objective To investigate the role of autophagy in high glucose-induced podocyte lipid droplet metabolism.Methods (1) Cultured,conditionally immortalized human podocytes (HPC)were divided into normal control group,high glucose group and mannitol group.Oil red O staining and oil red O staining extraction assay was used to observe the degree of lipid accumulation;Protein level of SREBP-1 was analyzed by Western blotting.(2) HPC were cultured and divided into normal control group,high glucose group,high glucose+3-methyladenine (3-MA) group,and mannitol group.Acridine orange staining was used to observe the formation of autophagosomes.Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ.Oil red O staining and oil red O staining extraction assay was used to observe the degree of lipid accumulation;Western blotting was used to analyze the expression of SREBP-1.Results (1) Compared with the normal control group,the lipid accumulation in the high glucose group was increased and the lipid metabolism related molecule SREBP-1 was up-regulated (P ＜ 0.05);There was no significant difference between the normal control group and the mannitol group in lipid accumulation (P ＞ 0.05).(2) Compared with the normal group,the number of autophagosomes was increased and autophagy-related proteins beclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ were up-regulated in high glucose group (all P ＜ 0.05).After intervened with 3-methyladenine,a significant decrease in autophagosomes was observed;Protein levels of autophagy-related proteinsbeclin-1 and LC3-Ⅱ/LC3-Ⅰ were decreased (all P ＜ 0.05);The lipid droplets in the high glucose+3-MA group was decreased and lipid metabolism related molecule SREBP-1 was down-regulated (all P ＜0.05).Conclusion Autophagy may be involved in the process of high-glucose-induced podocyte lipid accumulation by affecting SREBP-1 expression,and inhibition of autophagy can alleviate the high-glucose-induced podocyte lipid accumulation.

Effects of light acute hypervolemic hemodilution on early postoperative cognitive function in elderly patients / 实用医学杂志

Objective To investigate the effects of light acute hypervolemic hemodilution on early postop-erative cognitive function in elderly patients. Methods A total of 60 patients treated by radical surgery were equally randomized to an AHH and a non-AHH control group.Using the Mini-Mental State Examination scale (MMSE),we evaluated the cognitive function of the patients.We made comparisons between the two groups in the plasma S100β levels at T0(before anesthesia induction),T1(immediately after hemodilution),T2(immediately after operating),T(36 hour after operating)and T(424 hour after operating).Results The S-100β lever at T2、T3 and T4were markedly higher than T0in both groups(P<0.05);At T3and T4,the S-100β lever was higher in non-AHH control group than AHH group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of postopera-tive cognitive dysfunction between the two groups(P>0.05)There was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction between the two groups(P > 0.05). Conclusions AHH can significantly reduce plasma S100β in elderly patients,but there is no effect on early postoperative cognitive function.

Early application of citicoline in the treatment of acute stroke: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of early application of citicoline in the treatment of patients with acute stroke by meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials published until May 2015 were electronically searched in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, WHO International Clinical Trial Registration Platform, Clinical Trial.gov, and China Biology Medicine disc. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and extracted the data based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of included articles was evaluated by using Revman5.0, and meta-analysis was performed. The results showed that 1027 articles were obtained in initial retrieval, and finally 7 articles, involving a total of 4039 cases, were included for analysis. The meta-analysis showed that no significant differences were found in the long-term mortality (OR=0.91, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.09, P=0.30), the rate of dependency (OR=1.02, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.24, P=0.85), and the effective rate (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.14, P=0.82) between citicoline group and control group. The overall rate of adverse events in citicoline group was not significantly different from that in control group (P=0.30). The quality of included articles reached moderate-low level. In conclusion, citicolne cannot reduce long-term mortality and dependence rate in the treatment of acute stroke, and the effective rate of citivoline may be not better than that of controls but with reliable safety.

Early application of citicoline in the treatment of acute stroke: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials / 华中科技大学学报（医学）（英德文版）

This study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of early application of citicoline in the treatment of patients with acute stroke by meta-analysis. Randomized controlled trials published until May 2015 were electronically searched in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, WHO International Clinical Trial Registration Platform, Clinical Trial.gov, and China Biology Medicine disc. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and extracted the data based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The quality of included articles was evaluated by using Revman5.0, and meta-analysis was performed. The results showed that 1027 articles were obtained in initial retrieval, and finally 7 articles, involving a total of 4039 cases, were included for analysis. The meta-analysis showed that no significant differences were found in the long-term mortality (OR=0.91, 95% CI 0.07 to 1.09, P=0.30), the rate of dependency (OR=1.02, 95% CI 0.87 to 1.24, P=0.85), and the effective rate (OR=0.98, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.14, P=0.82) between citicoline group and control group. The overall rate of adverse events in citicoline group was not significantly different from that in control group (P=0.30). The quality of included articles reached moderate-low level. In conclusion, citicolne cannot reduce long-term mortality and dependence rate in the treatment of acute stroke, and the effective rate of citivoline may be not better than that of controls but with reliable safety.

Professor XIAO Ji-fang's idea on acupuncture-moxibustion / 中国针灸

Professor XIAO Ji-fang, an experienced practitioner of Chinese medicine of Guangxi, is famous for his medical ethics, wide range of studies, comprehensive understanding of the classics, innovation, as well as u nique academic ideas. He focuses on mind-regulating in acupuncture and pulse diagnosis. At the same time, differentiation of syndromes, diseases and meridians are emphasized. The combination of acupuncture and moxibustion and integration of acupuncture and medicine are promoted. He is especially skilled at slow twisting needle insertion, Taiji needling therapy, scalp acupuncture and moxibustion with a herb prepared thread of Zhuang nationality, which all achieve remarkable effects.